Viral infections are responsible for many acute and chronic life-threatening diseases. It is estimated that about 33.4 million people are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide. In addition, an estimated 2 billion people have been infected with hepatitis B virus, and 600,000 people die each year due to the acute or chronic consequences of the infection. Influenza is one of the most widely spread viral infections worldwide. Major influenza A pandemics include the Asian flu pandemic in 1957 (H2N2), the Hong Kong flu pandemic in 1968 (H3N2), the re-emergence of H1N1 (Russian flu) in 1970, the H5N1 bird flu in 1997 and 2003, and the outbreak of the swine flu (H1N1) in April 2009.
Despite extensive efforts, the development of effective anti-viral drugs has largely been empirical. Further, as virus strains change over time, the emergence of resistant mutants further diminishes the efficacy of existing anti-viral agents. Therefore, the development of additional novel anti-viral therapeutics is needed.